What can Congress and the President Do?

These days, our Representatives and Congressmen, and the President are wildly out of control. They have over stepped their authority and disregarded the Constitution; all in the name of economic doomsdays that they keep predicting and ensuring with legislation spending money we don't have. Yet, most people remain unaware that the President has broken the law. What’s worse, many people don’t care out of irrational fear that the government should “do something.” So far, our leaders have taken exactly the kind of action that our forefathers warned us about and done exactly the wrong things that we learned the hard way through the Great Depression. Our leaders have shown that they either hate us, or they are completely ignorant.

Apparently, they assume that we the people do not know any better that their actions are unlawful. But you do not have to stay ignorant. The Government only has the power to perform a very few duties over the states. Here is that list excerpted from our Constitution:

Section. 8.

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow Money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings;--And

To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

Section. 9.

The Migration or Importation of such Persons as any of the States now existing shall think proper to admit, shall not be prohibited by the Congress prior to the Year one thousand eight hundred and eight, but a Tax or duty may be imposed on such Importation, not exceeding ten dollars for each Person.

The Privilege of the Writ of Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.

No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.

No Capitation, or other direct, Tax shall be laid, unless in Proportion to the Census or enumeration herein before directed to be taken.

No Tax or Duty shall be laid on Articles exported from any State.

No Preference shall be given by any Regulation of Commerce or Revenue to the Ports of one State over those of another; nor shall Vessels bound to, or from, one State, be obliged to enter, clear, or pay Duties in another.

No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.

No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.

Bill of Rights

Amendment 10 - Powers of the States and People

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. (in other words, any power not granted to congress above is already denied)

In our time, the idea of “general welfare” has been perverted by congress to cover any and every pet spending project that they deem necessary. There was debate between Hamilton and Madison as to the limits of general welfare spending. Madison believed that congress spending should be tied to the enumerated powers. Hamilton took a broader view that congress could spend on general things for the public welfare. Where congress and our judicial branch deviated from both Hamilton and Madison was to redefine general welfare to the individual, instead of for the states.

Nationalizing banks, taking over the auto industry, forcing the taxpayers to pay for TARP, and creating czars that only report to the President are all unconstitutional. This is way more lawlessness than what prompted the Hondurans to enforce their constitution and legally arrest President Zelaya. One can only surmise that Obama must be nervous witnessing the Honduran people rise up and enforce their constitution. How much longer will it be before we are forced to do the same?